The Mistake of a Lifetime
by Angelical Fiend
Summary: It seems things are a little more than shaky with his beloved Sophie... or are they? Due to a slight mishap while moving, Howl finds himself trapped in a world he is foreign to and hasn't got a clue as to how to help himself.
1. The Mistake

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Howl, Sophie, Prince Justin, Calcifer, Markl or any of the other characters from Howl's Moving Castle. I do however own the personalities and appearances of other Sophie, Lettie, and as well as characters I might make up as the story progresses. THANK YOU.

**Author's Note:** This is the first Howl's Moving Castle fanfiction that I've written. It's not my first one ever (I have written others under a different account name) but it's the first one I actually like. Now, you might've read the disclaimer and found out about other Sophie. This is NOT a story about a twin Sophie. Well actually it kind of is, but not in the way you might think. If you've read the summary then you'll have had a little taste of what this story is actually about. Hopefully you'll like it. Please remember to R & R. Thanks.

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Prologue

The Mistake

Howl sighed as he watched Sophie's retreating figure walk away from the front door that led to a bustling street in Kingsbury.

"Damn it, Calcifer," Howl yelled as he closed the door with a wave of his hand then subsequently kicked the hearth. This was very uncharacteristic of Howl to behave this way, but Howl hadn't been acting like himself as of late. Calcifer wasn't feeling like himself either. His flame was lower than usual and he wasn't as feisty as usual. Unfortunately in her carelessness, before she left, Sophie had fed Calcifer a spy slug by mistake thinking it was only a piece of spoiled food. This had a great and upsetting effect on Calcifer and it would last for a while.

"You know you brought this upon yourself," the fire demon said carefully.

"I know, I know, but… why!" Howl cried desperately swinging around to look at the fire demon.

"Hmm, well it could've been the fact that you were never here or that you never told her how you felt or that you never really paid much attention to her other than was necessary," Calcifer said wearily.

"Thank you," Howl said angrily, "for pointing out the obvious."

"Well, you could always go after her," the fire suggested.

"No Calcifer that would never do. We have to move." Howl's stubbornness had now taken control. Nothing would change his mind now; nothing except Sophie.

At this moment, Howl's apprentice, Markl, came running down the stairs. As he ran he yelled, "Sophie! Sophie! Hey where's Sophie?" asked the little boy as he found only Howl and Calcifer in the room.

"Sophie is…" Calcifer began, trying to tell the boy gently that Sophie, whom was like a big sister to him, was gone for good.

"Gone," Howl finished hastily.

"What? Where'd she go? Did she go to the market?" Markl asked in his naivety.

"No Markl," Howl sighed, "She left for good. Apparently she had been seeing that Prince Justin fellow and he asked her to marry her. She agreed and left."

"Ha ha. Howl you're funny. But seriously, where is Sophie?" Markl asked again, laughing nervously.

"I told you!" Howl shouted, rounding on the small boy, "She is gone. Need I say it again!"

"N-no," Markl whimpered as tears came to his eyes, "But why would she leave? I thought she liked it here."

"Apparently not as much as she liked the thought of living in a real castle," Calcifer finally said with a long sigh.

"Anyway," Howl said waving away Calcifer's input, "We're moving. Sit tight Markl."

"We can't move," Markl said quietly.

"And why not? We can't stay near Sophie out entire life and besides, she's not even going to be living in Kingsbury," Howl said as he drew out the diagram with chalk.

"It's not because of that, it's because Calcifer's sick," Markl again said quietly.

"What? He looks fine to me," Howl replied while inspecting the tiny ball of flame.

"Well, he ate something weird and he's not very strong so I wouldn't think that this would be a good idea."

"Nonsense, Markl. This move will go smoothly. You just wait and see," Howl said as he scooped up Calcifer with the shovel.

Howl moved into the middle of the room and positioned himself in the diagram he had prepared while talking with Calcifer. He then held Calcifer out in front of him and lifted his other arm so it was perpendicular to his body.

"On my mark, Calcifer. You know what to do," Howl ordered.

In an instant Calcifer's flame grew hotter and larger, but died down moment's later and almost went out. Howl was already weak with rage and sorrow, but this magic drained him. He dropped the shovel and Calcifer on the floor, and then his world went black.

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OH MY! What the hell has happened to Howl! The poor guy doesn't know his own strength/healthiness... yes?

Thanks once again for reading the prologue to my fanfiction "The Mistake of a Lifetime". I won't promise that I'll have the first chapter up soon, but I promise I'll try. My schedule is very compromising at the moment as it's summer and I'm working. I also need to have a life. Hopefully, though, the next chapter won't take too long and hopefully it will be longer.

Please read and review!  
Love:Me


	2. The Encounter

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the original characters from "Howl's Moving Castle". I do however own the appearance and part of the personality of other Sophie and Lettie as well as other characters I might make up in the process of this wonderful story. THANK YOU.

**Author's Note:** In honour of 101 hits (Oh yeah, that's right) I have decided to put up chapter one. ACTUALLY it's just a coincidence that this chapter would be posted around 101 hits, but it's all good… right? In this chapter we meet other Sophie. Bear with me, this might get a little confusing. My friend was reading this and she's told me that she kept on having to remind herself that the Sophie in this chapter wasn't the Sophie that many have grown to know and love. She's practically a mouthy teenager with a totally not conservative outfit and long silver hair (it's her natural colour BTW). Those are pretty much the only differences from movie Sophie. Sometimes it's even confusing for me to write this story. But because I'm super amazing I will totally remind you guys at the beginning of each chapter that this isn't the real Sophie. And if I get any reviews saying "WTF have you done! Sophie wouldn't say that…" I'll tell them to piss off and read the Author's Note. Ohoho, j/k. Anyway I have another fanfic going right now (KH 2 for anyone interested Squall/OC) and writing both these stories is very time consuming. I totally worked like a beast on this chapter, but somehow I find it more difficult to write this story instead of the other one. I guess that would be due to lack of planning in this story. Oh well, we'll just see where this one will take us. Call it… an adventure. Toodles.

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**Chapter One**

The Encounter

When Howl came to, his castle was dark. Calcifer was but a glowing ember on the verge of burning out, still on the shovel. Markl was a shadowy figure slumped against the kitchen counter. They were both visible to Howl from his position on the floor. His limbs were sprawled out and he was lying on his back. Howl groaned as he sat up. He clutched his head in his best attempts to keep the world from spinning around him, but it was of no use. He chose to lie back down on the floor for an undecided amount of time. Howl finally saw Calcifer's eyes open. Howl didn't bother to say anything for two reasons. One, he didn't know what to say. It's not like Howl could just say "Oops. Let's try that again." He was the master of this castle and he should've known better than to try and move while Calcifer was ill. And two, he didn't really feel like talking to anyone at the moment. He was angry with himself very much.

Howl rolled over onto his right side and saw that Markl had still not moved. _Oh God,_ Howl thought,_ is he unconscious?_ Howl decided that now was a good time to move. He rolled once more onto his stomach and crawled his way over towards the immobile little boy. "Markl," Howl said as he laid a hand on the boy's shoulder, "Markl can you hear me?"

A faint incoherent response reached Howl's ears, making him want to dance about the room… with Sophie. Suddenly Sophie's last words to him filled his head. He could see her clearly, her face had been blank and she had looked at the top-most button on his shirt the entire time._ "Howl… I'm leaving the castle. Don't say anything yet, because I'm pretty sure you've already though of the perfect remark to make me stay. Anyways, Prince Justin has asked me to – to marry him."_ She had given his shirt a rueful smile then. _"Even though we've only been dating for a few months… I really feel like he's the one for me. He's always there when I need him and he doesn't play me for a fool._ Howl had been confused about why she pointed out these characteristics instead of better ones, but he understood now. Sophie had been pointing out that Howl, himself, hadn't been there for her all the time and that he had – in her mind – "played her for a fool" when in fact Howl had been too nervous, too frightened of rejection to tell her his feelings. _"I…love him Howl."_ With that Sophie had picked up a duffel bag full of what little belongings she had decided to take and walked out the door, not giving Howl a chance to say anything.

With a jolt, Howl was brought back to reality. His head had started spinning again and he needed to lie down _very_ badly. He was still on his hands and knees, eye-level with Markl who was now clearly asleep. Howl gave a little smile then carefully eased himself onto the floor beside his apprentice. _What the hell am I going to do?_ With that thought Howl drifted into sleep.

A bright light pierced Howl's eyes as he opened them. He winced and turned his head away. At that instant Howl realized that Markl was gone from his spot on the floor beside him. Suddenly a voice cried out, "Master Howl! Master Howl! You've got to come see this." This made Howl wince once more as he curled up into a ball on the floor.

"Markl, not so loud, please for my head is aching like there's no tomorrow," Howl said from his undignified position on the floor.

"But Master…" Markl started, but was then cut off by Howl groaning and righting himself. Howl got up, clutching his head then carefully opened his eyes. Sun light was pouring through the windows of his castle. It seemed that Howl had slept for a good portion of six hours. Markl had a distressed look on his face as he tugged on Howl's shirt in a desperate attempt to lead the wizard somewhere. Howl resigned from resisting Markl's urgent pulling and allowed the younger boy to lead him to… the door. "Look Master Howl! Turn the knob for a different colour," Markl instructed.

Howl gave Markl an impatient look but did as the younger boy asked nonetheless. As he turned the knob, Howl noticed that the colour remained the same. It remained the same red colour even as Howl tried furiously to change it. Finally Howl got fed up with it and opened the door. He found he was looking out at a lush green forest. It wasn't like anyplace Howl had ever seen. He stepped out of the doorway slowly, leaving an anxious looking Markl behind. "Master, where are you going?" Markl asked frantically. Howl didn't answer. Instead, he noticed that the castle was in the middle of a modest sized clearing, surrounded by big fir trees. There were paths to the left and to the right of him and what looked like dense forest everywhere else. As Howl turned back, he saw that the castle wasn't the castle from the outside. It was a tiny, rundown shack that looked like it would've had no more than two rooms. _What is this place?_ Howl wondered as he looked about warily. From the appearance of things, it looked like they were alone, but who really knew?

Then there was a noise. A crashing through the bushes that sounded like a beast was becoming louder and louder to Howl's ears. But he didn't run. Markl shut the door a little more, ready to close it if need be. Howl didn't know why he stayed put. It could've been his curiosity. Perhaps he thought that whatever this creature was would give him some hint as to where he was. It also could've been the fact that he was scared stiff. It wasn't noticeable on his face or by his body language, but it was indeed there inside him. Howl stiffened his stance as the noise came closer. He didn't want to, if it was just an animal, but he prepared to use his magic just in case. _Any moment now, that – whatever it is – will come bursting through the bushes. Either it'll be harmless or one of us will be hurt._ It was a girl.

The girl had burst through the bushes and tripped over a root. She had long silver hair and cool brown eyes. A pair of tight, black, straight-legged pants and a modest black tank top with bits of lace on the collar adorned her body. On her feet was a pair of black combat boots. The girl was slowly righting herself from her fall when she looked up and saw Howl. "Oh!" the girl exclaimed in a voice that was all too familiar to Howl.

"S-Sophie?" Howl asked tentatively. He took one step forward and reached his hand out towards her even though she was far away.

The girl stood up abruptly and stiffened in a defensive habit. "How do you know my name?" she demanded.

"So it is you! I thought I'd never see you again!" Howl said with a grin on his face. He then began to walk over towards the girl with his arms spread out.

The girl looked as if she were thinking about sprinting back from whence she came, but Howl reached her before she could and locked her in a tight embrace. "What the hell are you doing, you freak!" the girl shrieked and started to squirm in a desperate attempt to escape Howl's hold, "Get off of me!"

Howl stepped back, but his hands didn't leave her shoulders, "What are you talking about? Sophie, it's me: Howl! Has he already made you forget about me? And your hair is so long! What is it? A magic potion that he had Suliman whip up for you?"

"Howl? What kind of name is _that_? Were your parent's hippies or something? And who are you talking about? And why are you talking about magic?" Sophie retorted, still trying to get out of Howl's grip. Suddenly, his grip became tighter. "Ow, stop it! You're hurting me!" she shrieked once more. Howl relinquished his grip on Sophie's arm and stared at her with a disbelieving look on his face.

"You really don't know who I am, do you?" Howl warily asked. He didn't want to know the answer, but at the same time he did.

The girl frowned and began tenderly rubbing her arms where Howl had been holding on. "No, I don't. Should I?" she scoffed. Sophie looked Howl up and down, taking in his clear blue eyes, raven hair and strange apparel. "And what's with the clothes anyway. You look like you just walked out of a medieval movie or something with your billowy shirt and… tight pants." Sophie began blushing furiously as she pointed out Howl's pants.

"What? You don't like it?" Howl asked innocently, "It's how I always dress. I don't really have anything else."

"Well, I hate to break it to you, but people don't exactly dress like that anymore. I mean, I _guess_ the pants are okay, but the shirt is a definite 'no-no," Sophie said matter-of-factly, "Don't people laugh at you or stare?"

"Well, no. Girls stare sometimes, but that's because of my good…" Howl began, but then faded out. The Sophie he knew hated it when he bragged about his looks. The vain quality in him was not one she admired and he knew it even if she never said anything about it to his face.

"'Because of your good…' what?" Sophie questioned.

This one statement brought Howl back to reality. This Sophie that was standing in front of him was not the Sophie he knew. In fact, he knew he wasn't in Kingsbury so it didn't make any sense why she would be way out here – where ever "here" was at least – with longer hair and an entirely different outfit. "Never mind. I'm just a strange man asking you strange questions," Howl sighed, a look of defeat on his face.

Sophie's expression and body language softened as she watched Howl turn around, obviously looking defeated and walk back towards the small abandoned cabin. The truth was that she felt sorry for him. He acted so lost, so alone and vulnerable that Sophie could do nothing but take pity on him. "Hey," she called, "do you live in that cabin over there?"

Howl turned slightly towards her voice and replied over his shoulder, "Yes, but why should you care?"

"Well, when I was a kid I was homeless for a while. My mother went bankrupt after my father died and our home was repossessed. My mother and I stayed in that very cabin for almost an entire year, but then my grandfather died, leaving us some money. It was enough to get us back on our feet," Sophie smiled ruefully while looking at the ground, "I'd hate to live there again and I know what your situation is like so... – I can't believe I'm doing this but – would you like to come stay at our place? I know it must sound strange. I barely know you, but I think I can trust you. So, what do you say?"

Howl looked dumbstruck for a moment. He was completely blindsided by Sophie's offer, but he didn't have anywhere to stay. _Markl and Calcifer will be fine for a week. By then Calcifer should be well enough to send us back to Kingsbury and I'll leave this Sophie behind and not trouble her anymore._ "Alright, I appreciate your offer, Sophie. I would be glad to accept," Howl said as he turned around to face her once more, "I am Howl Jenkins," he said a lavish bow, "and you are?"

"Sophie; Sophie Hatter," she said with a dainty curtsey. It wasn't a gesture that Sophie made very often, but she felt that it had to be done after the bow Howl gave her.

_So it is Hatter,_ Howl thought all the while being careful to keep his face blank,_ I wonder how many more things are in common with this Sophie and… my… no, Justin's Sophie._ Sophie then began to walk back into the forest in the direction she had appeared from. Howl took one step forwards to follow her, and then stopped a moment, tempted to go tell Markl where he was going. He had been very surprised that Markl hadn't come bursting out to see this Sophie replica, but perhaps the boy had been scared, shut the door and hadn't looked out the window. Well Howl would just have to come back tomorrow and give the fire demon and his apprentice the details of what was going on. Having made up his mind, Howl took another step forward and proceeded in following this new Sophie.

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OH SNAP. Howl totally made a fool of himself, but wasn't it lucky that Sophie invited him to stay with her! Actually I think it's too good to be true, myself, but… I don't really want to make Howl a desperate stalker. The personality doesn't really fit if you ask me. But then again, what does the author know?

Anyway, the reason that this chapter took a while is because I have no real motivation! I mean, yeah I have 101 hits, but that could be the same person looking at my story 101 times! I need reviews people! They brighten my day.

Love: me.


	3. The Kiss

**Mistake of a Lifetime**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the wonderful characters from "Howl's Moving Castle". Don't be mistaken for I do own part of "other" Sophie and Lettie as well as other amazing characters I may make up during this excellent story. Don't steal, 'kay?

**Author's Note:** Wow! Chapter 2. The ball's really rolling now isn't it? So school has started again and as much as I'd like to work on this story all the time, I can't. Homework and such has priority, so even though the estimated update is like a month between chapters, it might become longer. Like a month and a half to two months or something crazy like that. ALTHOUGH I just might get incentive to update if I get bored of school work and if I get more reviews. I would like to thank **Lady Moon Dragon** and **SugoiTenshi519** for being kind/awesome and reviewing. Yeah, I just have two.

**Chapter 2**

**The Kiss**

Sophie grabbed the door knob to her house, twisted it, pushed open the door and walked inside. The entire time Howl and Sophie had been traveling home, Howl had been constantly amazing by all the sights he saw. He and Sophie had emerged from the park where Sophie had first found Howl only to come upon a bustling street. Howl had immediately recognized the city he was in as Kingsbury, just not the Kingsbury he knew. Everything was so much more advanced. The transportation, the roads, the shops, and the houses, were the most noticeable to Howl. He had read about a theory called "time-travel" when he had been bored one day and picked out a book from the royal library. Howl was most positive that this is what he'd done. The only problem is he didn't know what time he was in or how to get back.

The beginning of the commute to Sophie's home had been most interesting to Howl. First they had stood inside a large glass compartment with benches inside and an open door way. When Howl had inquired as to what this room was called, Sophie replied, "A bus stop." Next a large, long trolley had pulled up in front of them. The door opened and the climbed up a short stair case to the driver. Sophie had then put money in a large rectangle container and started walking to the back of the trolley. Howl had exclaimed that he'd never seen a trolley this advanced. A few people had turned around in their seats to look at him and Sophie had quickly corrected that the supposed trolley was in fact called a bus. The bus ride had lasted no longer than fifteen minutes when Sophie had pulled a yellow cord that hung just above the window. A read light had come on at the front and the bus driver soon pulled over to the curb to let Sophie and Howl off. Finally they had crossed the street and begun walking up the left side of a road. Howl had noticed that it was called "Kingsbury Road". He also made a note that the house was the eighth from the corner.

Many things were still new to Howl. He could recognize most things, but he wouldn't have a clue as how to use them. Most of the items he could recognize were still too advanced. As he stepped into Sophie's warm and well-lit house a question finally surfaced in his mind. Were there magicians around? Howl hadn't realized he had worded the question aloud until he heard Sophie answer it.

"Sure there are magicians. Sometimes they perform at the Show House and do all sorts of neat magic tricks," Sophie had said with a smile.

"Magic tricks?" Howl repeated.

"Yeah, you know; make a quarter appear from behind your ear or pull a rabbit out of a hat. Those kinds of tricks."

"What about magic spells? Are those practiced?"

"There you go with that magic thing again. There are no real wizards or witches if that's what you mean. But you could pretend if you wanted. There are games like, um, Dungeons and Dragons and stuff like that," Sophie shrugged and raised her eyebrows, "I'm not really into that sort of thing but if you are then go for it."

"Dungeons and Dragons?"

"It's a board game. Are you saying that you've never heard of it?"

"Nope. Never in my life." Howl said.

"Have you been living under a rock?" Sophie stared at Howl in disbelief.

"No. I live…d in a perfectly good home, I thank you."

"Wow. It's just that it was or is so popular that it's kind of hard not to know about it. I mean, I don't even play it, or have friends that play it, and I know about it."

"Well, now I do," Howl retorted, "and can we just leave it at that?"

Sophie just shrugged, turned away from Howl and proceeded to take off her boots. "Mom." she called up that stairs, "I'm home in case you were wondering." The quick thump of running was heard as Sophie's mother rushed to the stairs.

"I was wondering when you'd get home." Sophie's mother said in a sing-song voice as she appeared at the top of the stairs. "Oh!" she exclaimed once she saw Howl, "Who is this attractive young man, Sophie?"

"Mother," Sophie cried, exasperated, "quit hitting on him! His name is Howl and he needs a place to crash." Howl tried desperately to keep up with the conversation, but soon became outdone by all the slang that came out of Sophie's mouth. "He was living in _the_ shack, mom, so I thought it would be okay to bring him home." Sophie explained quickly.

"Oh, Sophie, it's just like the time you wanted that stray puppy!" Sophie's mother squealed as she rushed down the stairs to hug first Sophie and then Howl, "Of course he can stay. You know I'd never kick out one in dire need of help."

Finally Howl was able to speak, "Thank you for your hospitality Mrs. Hatter."

"Oh don't mention it. And actually it's 'Miss', but you can just call me Lydia."

"My apologies, Lydia." Howl said with a bow.

"Oh my, Sophie it seems we have quite the gentleman on our hands." Lydia said as she fanned herself with her hand. "Why don't you show Howl, here, to the guest room, dear?"

"Yes, mom." Sophie motioned to Howl to follow her, "Right this way Howl." Howl nodded and followed her up the stairs keeping a respectable distance between them the entire way. At the top of the stairs, Sophie turned right, passed a doorway that opened onto the living room on her right, then turned left. She opened the door then stood aside to allow Howl entry to the room. "It's not much…" Sophie began, but was quickly cut off.

"It's wonderful. Thank you." Howl looked at her from over his shoulder and flashed a dazzling smile. Sophie appeared flustered for a moment, but quickly regained her composure. She sat down on the end of the bed and watched Howl as he opened the closet, the dresser, and finally the window. From the window, Howl could see houses and, in the distance, the trees that marked where the park was. "It's quite a nice view." Howl remarked.

"Of suburbia?" Sophie gave a laugh of disgust then flopped backwards onto the bed, "Not likely."

"You don't like it." It was said more like a statement than a question as Howl turned towards the bed and sat down also.

"I hate it here. Mom moved here shortly after we became 'wealthy' again. And I use that term loosely. We weren't rich, but we weren't poor either. We used to live in the city. My father loved being in the heart of it all; the shows, the shopping, the culture. Mom moved here because she couldn't stand to be reminded of my father day after day. She barely goes downtown anymore. It makes her sad." Sophie had rolled onto her side and was now looking at Howl with soft brown eyes.

Howl lay back on the bed and turned to face her. He said nothing, but he met her stare evenly. The two of them stayed that way long into the evening. Sophie kept on hearing her mother's words run through her head. If Howl hadn't been in the same room as her, Sophie would've curled up into the fetal position and beat her head with her hands for thinking indecent thoughts about Howl.

However, Sophie's thoughts were cut short as she registered in her mind that Howl had moved closer. _Much closer._ What her mind did not register right away was the fact the Howl was kissing her. It was quite the chaste kiss, but a kiss nonetheless. It seemed he moved away as quickly as he had moved close. Sophie continued to look at him, but now her cheeks were flushed and her lips were slightly parted.

Howl was worried from Sophie's lack of talking that she was either about to slap him or run away. Needless to say, he was surprised when he felt Sophie's lips press softly against his. It was the ultimate test for Howl, to see if this Sophie was like the Sophie he knew. Sure enough, they kissed almost identical. Even though Howl didn't have the pleasure of kissing his Sophie as often as he would have liked, there was no doubt in his mind, or his body, that this Sophie was very alike his Sophie in almost every way, shape, and form. Howl place his arm around Sophie and held her closer to him. He was quite pleased when she didn't resist or pull away. That small act only made her place one leg over top both of his.

Sophie had lost all sense of time and boundaries. The only thought in her mind was how much she wanted this. She rolled onto her back, bringing Howl with her, and clutched onto the back of Howl's shirt with one of her hands; the other was pressed against his chest. Sophie gently opened her mouth and ran the tip of her tongue along Howl's bottom lip, begging for entry. Howl quickly complied and opened his mouth as well. Then very suddenly, Sophie pulled her head away from his. Both he and she were very confused for a moment as to why Sophie did that, but then the reason was heard again.

"Sophie! Howl! Dinner is ready." Lydia called from the kitchen.

It took a while for both Howl and Sophie to register what was going on and the position they were in, but when it hit them, it hit them hard. Howl rolled onto his back and groaned. He was quite embarrassed as he realized what he had initiated, but his embarrassment was pocket change compared to Sophie's. She curled into a ball and hid her face in her hands hoping that that would make the burning sensation in her cheeks go away. It eventually did, but not before she hissed at Howl, "Speak of this to no one." Sophie then got up and quickly tried to fix her disheveled state before walking to the kitchen, leaving Howl to himself.

Howl sat up as soon as Sophie left and looked at himself in the mirror that hung over the dresser. He raked his hands through his hair a few times so that it would appear presentable, then muttered to himself sarcastically, "What gentlemanly behavior, Pendragon," before he, too, left the room.

Sophie walked into the kitchen, and plunked down into a chair at the table. She looked at the food laid out before her and sighed. It would be another spaghetti night. It was her mother's favourite meal right now and every time they had it, Sophie wondered if it would be the last for a while. She never knew how her mother got so fixated on a certain dish.

Lydia took in her daughter's appearance without a second thought. She was used to seeing Sophie's hair become unruly as the night wore on, but as soon as she saw Howl walking down the hall, she smiled knowingly at her daughter.

"Mom," Sophie mumbled, "Don't say a word because I know what you're thinking and I'm going to end that thought right now. _Nothing_ happened."

"What ever you say, darling," Lydia said as Howl sat down. Sophie sent her mother a warning glare, but Lydia merely responded by passing Howl the spaghetti noodles. Howl nodded his head in recognition as he took the noodles and put some on his plate before offering the serve Sophie.

"Sophie, may I serve you?" Howl asked nonchalantly. Sophie nodded, all the while keeping her eyes on her mother lest Lydia say something about what happened in the bedroom. Sophie then allowed herself to break eye contact with her mother to ladle herself some spaghetti sauce. Sophie noticed pleasantly that this was one night this week that her mother didn't bother to add the meatballs. She then passed the bowl to Howl and began twirling her spaghetti around her fork.

"So," Lydia began. Sophie's head snapped up and she glared at her mother as if daring her to speak, "Sophie how was your day?"

"It was fine." was all Sophie mumbled before returning to her meal.

"And Howl," Lydia continued, "I was curious. How long had you been living in that sorry excuse for a shack in the park?"

"Not very long," Howl replied carefully, "I just 'moved in' this week."

"Oh," Lydia smiled in relief, "thank goodness you hadn't been there long. It really is a horrible place."

For the first time since Howl had left with Sophie, he thought about Calcifer and Markl. _I hope they're okay. I really must go visit them tomorrow. Calcifer must be worried to death by now… or not. He knows how I like to go out for long periods of time…_ "Yes, it was very… quaint." Howl replied.

Sophie continued to say nothing as she ate her meal. Lydia looked at her daughter out of the corner of her eye. Seeing as Sophie wasn't watching her intently, Lydia kept her eyes on her own meal and asked rather bluntly, "So, what happened in that bedroom?" She lifted her head as she heard a gag and the small "plop" of noodle falling back on the plate. It was Howl who had gagged. He was now clearing his throat and swallowing his noodles carefully as he had almost choked on them. Sophie's mouth was still hanging open, both from shock and that fact that she had been ready to eat her own spaghetti. The fork was still poised in front of her face, but it was seriously lacking in food to hold.

Suddenly, there was the sound of a chair sliding backwards on the linoleum flooring and a fork being dropped only to meet a plate. "Mother," Sophie said, trying to keep her voice level, "I've lost my appetite and I'm going to my room."

Howl placed his own fork gently on his plate a wiped his mouth before saying, "Come now Sophie, this is nothing to waste a perfectly good meal over. Sit down, please."

This did nothing to calm her mood. Sophie roughly pushed her chair in and stormed off to her room, silver hair flying majestically behind her. Both Howl and Lydia watched her leave with their mouths gaping. Lydia moved to leave the table to go after her daughter, but Howl gently placed his hand over one of hers. "I don't believe that this is the best time for _you_ to go after her. I think _I_ have some mending to do." Howl gracefully got up, giving Lydia an apologetic look for leaving her stranded at the table, but turned around and walked to Sophie's room nevertheless.

Sophie fell forwards on to her bed, shaking. She didn't know what she was shaking from; it could've been rage from her mother, adrenaline from kissing Howl, guilt from cheating on her boyfriend, or all three. So caught up in her thoughts, was Sophie that she didn't even hear the soft knock on her bedroom door or the door opening. It wasn't until she felt someone sit down beside her, making the bed's levelness shift, did she even realize someone was there.

"Sophie," Howl said gently, "it's not a big deal…"

"Yes it is!" Sophie cried, "Yes it _is_ a big deal."

"Why?" Howl stretched out next to Sophie.

"Oh no," Sophie sat up right a scooted away, "This is how it was last time. And it's a big deal because… because I have a _boyfriend_."

Howl immediately sat up and looked at her square in the face, "Tell me Sophie, what is his name." _Please, oh **please** let it not be "Justin"!_

But no sort of wishing could change his name. Whether it was Justin or Fred, that boy would always be equal to the Justin that stole his Sophie away. Nevertheless, Howl waited on pins and needles for Sophie to speak. When she finally did, it felt like an eternity had passed.

"His name is…"

* * *

WHAT A CLIFFHANGER. SO "The Kiss"… OH YEAH. I have been waiting for quite a while for Sophie and Howl to get the ball rolling. ROMANTICALLY I mean. It seemed like the perfect setting. I mean, who wouldn't do that? Okay maybe someone with CONTROL. But, Sophie is someone Howl is madly in love with! If I were Howl (or a guy for that matter) that's what I'd do. Picture it: a darkening room, a bed, an attractive woman (or man). WHY NOT KISS 'EM! Awesome. 


	4. The Outing

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the original character's from "Howl's Moving Castle". The only ones I own are the ones that you were not familiar with coming into this story. You know which ones they are.

**Author's Note:** How long has it been? Even the time that it has taken for me to update is no reflection on the difficulty of writing this chapter. I'm still not 0 _in love_ with this one, but it'll do. Sorry to keep you hanging in suspense for so long! FYI, this chapter is mostly filler. I just really needed a place for Howl and THE BOYFRIEND to meet… I promise I'll try to update faster next time!

**I have corrected my mistake. Thank you to those who helped me out! **This is why I need you guys! It's unfortunate when one can't keep their own story straight... It seems that what was in my mind and what I had previously typed were completely different. AWESOME. However, you may be pleased to know that this now works out to my advantage. :)

**Chapter 3  
The Outing**

"…Justin."

_How predictable._ Howl thought. It seemed that this world he was in would take some getting used to. Of course if there was another Sophie and Justin, could there be another one of him? Sophie flopped back down on the bed. Howl immediately stood up, but was hesitant to leave.

"…Argh. Why am I even telling you this?" Sophie cried.

"Because I asked you." Howl calmly stated.

Sophie turned her head slightly and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "Why does it even matter?" she mumbled.

"Because, I…" Howl caught himself. He was just about to confess his love for her, but realized not a moment to late that she didn't love him back.

"Please go." Sophie squeaked out. She didn't seem to notice that Howl had stopped mid-sentence. At the moment she felt very much like crying.

"Why?" Howl whispered.

"I don't know. I can't think of a good reason, other than I just want you to. You can't stay in here all night Howl. What would my mother think?"

Howl leaned against the doorframe, still facing Sophie. "She'd think nothing of it, probably."

Still, Howl shook his head and left. Sophie sighed and placed her hands over her face. It scared her how quickly she'd fallen for this new guy when she had been going out with Justin for a whole year. Sophie had never felt less like herself than now.

--

The next morning Howl felt as thought he didn't even want to get out of bed. What use was it staying in bed though? It's not as if he could have escaped the one girl who ripped out his heart and then stepped on it repeatedly by staying in her house. The only answer was to get up, make it through breakfast, and then leave. Even though Sophie's answer last night hadn't been a surprise, it still had hurt. He would never admit it; at least not right now or anytime in the near future.

The smell of bacon and eggs was enough to finally force Howl out of bed. He wouldn't turn down a good meal, especially if his beloved was making it for him. Much to his disappointment, it was not Sophie in the kitchen, but her mother.

"I see you're up!" Lydia said with the cheerfulness of a morning person. Howl was the complete opposite. He enjoyed lounging about in the morning, ignoring those minute details that could always wait until later. "Sophie will be right along, so don't you worry."

True to her mother's word, Sophie appeared in the kitchen doorway moments later, pyjamas framing her slight figure, eyes only half open, and hair mussed from sleep. Howl allowed a slight smile appear on his face at the sight of her. It appeared that unlike the Sophie he knew, this Sophie was not at her best in the morning. He found it rather endearing.

"Sophie dear!" exclaimed Lydia, "Why aren't you dressed yet? Did you just wake up?"

Not bothering to pay attention to her mother's babbling, Sophie plopped herself down into a chair and patiently waited for food. She didn't even seem to notice Howl's unwavering gaze upon her.

"Sophie, how did you sleep?" Howl asked sweetly.

From under her silver bangs, Sophie shot Howl a dirty look. He understood at once and quickly let the subject dissipate.

"So," Lydia started as she put full plates of food in front of both Howl and Sophie, "what have you kids got planned for today?"

Sophie continued to glare ahead of her as she pushed her eggs around on her plate. Howl, thinking it rude to ignore a question being the gentleman he was, turned to Lydia and began to speak, "Actually, Lydia…"

Howl's sentence trailed off as he noticed Sophie's mother's scrutinizing stare directed at him. "Are these the only clothes you have, Howl dear?" Lydia asked rather directly.

Howl looked down at his own tight slacks and billowy shirt. "What's wrong with my clothes?" Howl asked, worriedly. This nostalgic sensation was almost unfamiliar to him; he hadn't worried about his appearance in a very long while.

"Aren't they a little old-fashioned? I know I'm not the hippest person around…" Lydia turned to her daughter to ask her opinion, "Sophie! Do kids dress like this now?"

Sophie snorted into her breakfast. "No mom, they don't."

Lydia's eyes sparkled at Sophie's answer. "Then I have the _perfect_ activity for the two of you! Sophie could take you shopping Howl!"

Howl got rather flustered at this suggestion. He had just been about to make his escape from Sophie, and he was pretty sure that she wasn't the least bit interested in spending the day with him. Still…

"How about it Sophie?" Howl asked hopefully. Howl's mind avidly ignored the rejection from the night before; he still couldn't help thinking of her as _his_ Sophie.

Sophie looked at him, an eyebrow raised. "Do you have any money?" she challenged.

"No," he admitted, slightly abashed.

"No worries," Lydia interjected, "I'll just let you borrow some." She was already across the room searching for her wallet. "How much do you want? One hundred? Two hundred?"

"That is very kind, Lydia, but unnecessary. I can not take your money," Howl stated.

"Nonsense," Lydia returned. She handed him a wad of money. "Take it. And I want to see every last penny spent."

"How much is that, mom?" Sophie asked warily.

"Never you mind. Now you go get dressed and help the poor boy shop!"

Sophie rose from the table. She gave her mother a wary glance and then headed to her room. Her mother was known for exuberance, but sometimes she took things a little too far.

--

As Sophie opened her door to exit her room – now fully dressed and presentable to the public – she almost ran straight into Howl, who was blocking half her doorway.

"Do you mind?" Sophie asked, acidicly.

Howl advanced forward, forcing Sophie back into her room. As soon as they were far enough in, Howl closed the door.

"Please…" he breathed.

"Please, what?"

"Let me kiss you." The rejection from the night before was now a distant memory in Howl's mind.

Sophie searched Howl's eyes to see if he was joking. When she was satisfied that he was not, she had to look away. The mixed emotions of pleading and passion that he held in his eyes did not hinder his request.

"Please," he repeated.

Sophie was surprised to find her breathing a little shaky and her answer stuck in her throat. Howl spotted this moment of uncertainty and took advantage of it. His mouth was on hers in an instant. Sophie remained stoic for a moment, but as Howl clutched her body close to his, she couldn't help but respond. Her arms locked themselves around Howl's neck and her lips moved with his. She didn't understand why this man could cause such a passionate and intense feeling inside her when he touched her, but he did.

Howl's lips slowly softened and his grip on Sophie loosened as well. He then pulled his head back and placed a soft kiss on Sophie's forehead. Her eyes were still closed and her arms were still around his neck. As Howl leaned his forehead against hers, he noticed how uneven her breathing was.

"Why?" Sophie asked in a whisper.

Howl opened his mouth to answer, but found that even now, he was unable to tell her the truth. He pressed his lips into a firm line as he realized how frustrated he was. He did not want to be keeping secrets from Sophie; he wouldn't be able to keep them forever.

Sophie opened her eyes to look into his, took a deep breath, then moved away from Howl's arms.

"I apologize," Howl muttered as he exited the room.

Sophie ran a hand through her silver hair and smoothed out her shirt as she prayed that Howl would not be waiting outside of her door. She was in luck. The hallway was empty, but she did hear voices coming from the bottom of the stairs.

"That boy is no good for her you know," Sophie heard her mother say. Was she talking to Howl about Justin? What business of his was it anyway?

It appeared that that was the tail end of the conversation for Sophie heard no more words, only footsteps coming up the stairs.

--

Downtown, Sophie and Howl got more than their fair share of stares from strangers. They weren't the least inconspicuous couple – silver hair mixed with strange clothing was bound to be interesting - but certainly the _stare_ was unnecessary; a glance or two would have sufficed. Sophie grabbed Howl's arm and pulled him into the first men's clothing shop they came across.

"You _must_ find something to wear in here," she hissed at him, "I don't care what it is. Just find _something_!"

Howl rolled his eyes, but began to diligently browse through the dress shirts. Sophie kept close and eyed the other customers in the store. _This is going to be a long day,_ she thought to herself.

As Howl headed to the back of the store, his arms laden with various articles of clothing, Sophie spotted some familiar people walking by the shop windows. She hoped that they wouldn't see her too because she didn't really feel like explaining this situation to them. Luck was not on her side for this moment, however, and sure enough, when one of them spotted her, the three of them entered the store.

"Sophie!" said the blonde girl, "What the hell are you doing in here?"

The blonde boy that lead the pack came forward and snaked his arm around Sophie's waist. "Nothing, Lettie," Sophie replied, "Just helping a friend. And hello to you too Justin." Sophie smiled as she said the boy's name.

Her smile did not last for long because shortly after these greetings had been exchanged, they all heard Sophie's name called out from the back of the shop. Sophie turned around to see Howl standing there, his arms spread, wearing a turquoise dress shirt and black slacks. Justin's arm tightened slightly around her waist; Howl looked stunning.

"What do you think?" he asked Sophie, a huge grin on his face.

Sophie heard Lettie gasp from behind her and answered, "It looks fine." She thought she saw Howl's smile waver a bit, but she couldn't be sure from the slight distance. As Howl turned to retreat to the dressing room, she too turned to her friends. Lettie was the first one to pounce on her.

"Who is _that_?" she demanded.

Sophie shrugged and replied nonchalantly, "No one special."

"No one _special_? Soph, he's gorgeous! Where did you find him?"

"Yes, where _did_ you find him?" Justin asked.

"In the park," Sophie stated calmly.

"Well then let's go!" Lettie responded enthusiastically.

"No need," Sophie said, "You can have him."

"Are you sure? I mean, he was all eyes for you. He didn't even give _Justin_ a second glance!"

A red-headed boy that made up the last member of Sophie's group of friends spoke up finally, "I'm surprised no one has asked this yet, but, _why _are you with this man?"

Sophie looked at him, surprised. "Because he needed my help," Sophie replied evenly. "It's not like you to be quiet for so long, Cal," she noted.

Cal smiled sheepishly and looked away. "Just got a lot on my mind."

"What's her name?"

"What do you mean, 'What's her name'? Why does there always have to be a girl involved?"

"Because," Lettie answer, "There always _is_ a girl involved."

Cal opened his mouth to retort, but at that moment Howl stepped up to the four of them. "Hello," Howl said as he approached them. He stuck out his hand. "I am Howl… Jenkins."

Sophie eyed him suspiciously as her friends took turns introducing themselves and shaking his hand.

"I have already purchased these items," Howl announced, drawing attention to the receipt in his hand and the clothing on his body. "Are you ready to go?"

Sophie nodded in response. She moved to get out of Justin's grasp, but he held on more tightly to her as he took a step towards Howl.

"Hold on," Justin told Howl, "We need to talk about this."

"Talk about what?" Howl replied, dumbfounded.

"About this situation," Justin clarified indicating Sophie. "Just what exactly are you doing with her?"

"We're shopping," Howl said calmly. This brought a small smile to Sophie's face as Justin became more irritated.

"You _know_ what I mean."

"Sophie's _mother_ has kindly offered a place for me to sleep while I try to… get back on my feet. Sophie, herself, has also kindly offered to help me out with a few things."

"Like what?" Justin growled.

"Like keeping me company, befriending me, you know the usual kind person stuff."

"Honestly Justin," Sophie interjected before Justin blew this way out of proportion, "you don't have to worry. There is nothing to get jealous over. Don't worry."

Justin released his arm from around Sophie waist and conceded to let her go with Howl. "Fine," he muttered. He took a final look at Howl and Sophie noticed a strange emotion that she couldn't quite put her finger of pass between them.

"Let's go Howl. I'll see you guys later."

--

Outside of the store, Sophie sighed. "That did not go how I expected," she said conversationally.

"Did you expect it to be better or worse?" Howl counted, a wry smile playing on his lips.

"Better, actually. I never knew Justin could be so jealous." Sophie looked at him. "What's that smile for?"

"Did you not notice your friend, Lettie?" Howl asked surprised.

"What about her?"

"When she shook my hand, she almost fainted!"

"Well, that's Lettie for you. She kind of overdoes most things." They walked in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. "Speaking of noticing things," Sophie started, "what was that between you and Justin?"

"What was what?" Howl asked.

"That look just as we were about to leave."

"I'm not sure I know what you're talking about." Howl looked away from Sophie as he said this.

Sophie hit his arm lightly. "You totally know what I'm talking about! Tell me! I hate secrets."

"I was just letting him know something."

"Letting him know what? C'mon Howl, tell me!"

"That I'm up for a bit of competition."

"Competition?"

Howl looked down at Sophie's face with a soft smile. "Yes, competition."

"Oh," Sophie replied dumbly; she understood. "Are you happy with your new clothes?" Sophie asked, changing the subject.

"Immensely," Howl replied.

"Your clothing was so strange before, like something out of a fairy tale… Where are you from, Mr. Jenkins?" Sophie mused.

Howl chuckled as he motioned for Sophie to follow him into the next shop. His laughter was merely a cover up for the real crisis playing in his mind. How long would he be able to keep up this charade? When would Sophie find out his real predicament? Would she still accept him once she knew the truth?

"I have a hunch that my time with you, Howl, will be very interesting," Sophie stated. Howl chuckled once more as he noted that she didn't realize how right she was.


End file.
